ST ETIENNE, FRANCE | By a Stéphanoise: a big thread
:) Here is my thread on St Etienne, my city, Sainté as all Stéphanois call it. in addition to Bordercityboy's thread (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=145104)
175 000 inhabitants, surrounded by 7 hills, close to Pilat regional park, 1 hour drive from Lyon, an average french city which would like to be more estimated than it is now, this will probably never change despites our Mayor's efforts. Sainté is known in France as a black city, first because of its coal mines which were closed during the seventies (I've just discovered that finally, it's not so old!!) and secondly due to its important industrial past : lots of metal industries but also ribbons companies, bicycles and of course weapons. This last one was an important part of St Etienne industries so let me explain a little: In the 16th century the arms factory became the official arms manufacture for the king François 1er, and, just before the French revolution, this part will interest American readers, in 1776, a stéphanois named Jean-Joseph Carrier de Monthieu and M. de Montbeillard who worked at the St Etienne weapons manufacture, get, from the king Louis XV, the agreement to produce guns for the US Patriots, which were used for the Saratoga battle. So I'm pleased to say that, as Lafayette, my city helped the US to get their independence. :yes: Here it is: http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...usquet1776.jpg 1766 "Charleville (The first model of the US arsenal at Springfield in 1795 was a copy of Charleville) That's why in the street where I live you can see this: http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...ne/America.jpg Amazing isn't it :notacrook: St Etienne win the nickname of Armeville (weapon city) and kept manufacturing weapons through the centuries, tanks, guns (FAMAS: Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de St Etienne) anti-tanks weapons... until 2000 when it was definitly closed. The site is being renovating since last year to become the Cité du Design in 2009 if everything goes OK. St Etienne is also the home of "Les Verts" soccer team and the head office of the Casino group, the first supermarket chains in France (a leader as Carrefour or Walmart), Geoffroy Guichard who created the company gave his name to the stadium. Since the seventies, this worker city had to face with many industrial plants closings: Manufrance (cycles), MAS and GIAT (arms)..., increasing the unemployment rate. These economic matters gave a bad look to the city with empty warehouses, old plants...that's why it kept its "black city" name in France. But for the last 5 years, things change and the city is now showing a new face, its industrial past has been slowly removed with big urban projects. A politic of outside opening to get investment and to develop high level industry is led by the mayor. (http://www.st-etienne-metropole.com/article16.html) (This is a good thing but if you want my opinion, I think this is too much, our mayor seems to believe he's at the head of a top 5 French cities :koko: but St Etienne will always be an average city 40 miles southwest of Lyon which is a city that really count! nothing will change that.) Now let's appreciate what it became, not so bad finally and not a black city anymore: 1. Small panorama----------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>-------------------------------move------------------------------------------------------------------->>>>> http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/d98c1301.jpg 2. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/0dba03a5.jpg 3. Courriot coal mine shaft which became a museum http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/7814dc1c.jpg 4. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/07d5341d.jpg 5. From the Clapier railroad station http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/28d4f67f.jpg 6. The museum entrance http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/6add84e9.jpg 7. I guess this is mine workers' protector http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/40e48f6c.jpg 8. The old weapons factory http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/a271c770.jpg 9. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/c6f71ae5.jpg 10. Geoffroy Guichard soccer stadium and, to the right, the Zenith construction, a big concert hall http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/642b67ff.jpg 11. No comment http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/eaf06e42.jpg 12. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/0af1eafa.jpg 13. Some views of the city http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/f5af884f.jpg 14. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/5dc807a8.jpg 15. Another "crassier" (hill of waste from the old coal mine) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/ae284438.jpg 16. Near Châteaucreux railroad station http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/36bc7764.jpg 17. The railroad station and its brand new parking lot http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/c2f0d038.jpg 18. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/2155e8ca.jpg 19. Our tram on its brand new line, it has been operating without interruption for 123 years (the only one in this case in France, even if many cities are now getting it back due to traffic and pollution) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/f42aea69.jpg 20. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/55ad2f9d.jpg 21. Downtown - Place Jean Jaurès viewed from the left http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/b4ebef82.jpg 22. ...to the right http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/891161c4.jpg 22bis. Pano ------------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>--------------move--------------------------------------------------->>>>>>>>>> http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/64b621d3.jpg 23. Restaurants: in summer, all the Jean Jaurès place become a big terrace http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/3bfde92e.jpg 24. Part of St Charles Cathedral http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/379a40d4.jpg 25. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/ef0c9b9d.jpg 26. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/Saint011.jpg 27. More restaurants (:yes: Yes in France we love eating!) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/7930ed99.jpg 28. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/ce41ee98.jpg 29. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/a1d48cc3.jpg 30. The Prefecture (office of the prefet, the cops' boss) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/ef430e63.jpg 31. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/ba3af42d.jpg 32. The Grand'rue with the tram http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/2130234f.jpg 33. City Hall (almost the same photo than Border city boy: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=145104) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/7ac27026.jpg 34. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/876e01f3.jpg 35. Place Dorian http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/4ea140ef.jpg 36. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/4aa248fd.jpg 37. Rue de la République (always with big traffic the week days) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/9de19150.jpg 38. Place du Peuple newly renovated (a tram line has been added) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/995608e3.jpg 39. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/a4cc401b.jpg 40. Trams again (Eh!! this is one of Sainté symbols!) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/96bda589.jpg 41. Middle ages buidings known as "La droguerie de la Tour" http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/12e5222e.jpg 42. Again! on the Grand'rue http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/65345cd5.jpg 43. Nice building on Liberation Avenue http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/0dc13609.jpg 44. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/ffc82eae.jpg 45. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/dc189432.jpg 46. La Grande Poste http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/b38e6755.jpg 47. St Jean pedestrian street (the flashy yellow building: a revenge to the mayor who forced Stéphanois to use yellow for renovation!! :D ) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/9cec11d1.jpg 48. Brand new renovated "Halles": covered market http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/63458ebd.jpg 49. Beaux Arts (Fine arts school) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/b9f9cf4c.jpg 50. Another pedestrian street http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/83f835a9.jpg 51. Quartier St Jacques and Rue des Martyres de Vingré: Middle ages houses http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/76201d42.jpg 52. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/a5b73061.jpg 53. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/ebc54c9e.jpg 54. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/c3d7efb5.jpg 55. La Grand'rue http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/4a8afc85.jpg 56. Under the city hall http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/48b1c0a5.jpg 57. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/5163c2fa.jpg 58. Reflects http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/a3153f35.jpg 59. Views from my appartment http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/f215c0a1.jpg 60. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/86da7adc.jpg 61. Good night http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...e/711a3fd3.jpg These pics was taken last Sunday, early in the morning, which explains there's not a lot of people. Week days there's many more but not too many cars as it's almost impossible to drive on the Grand' rue, streets are narrow and many of them are one way only or pedestrian, Grand Cherockee or 4x4 Toyota still OK but Hummer is not recommended! This is end for today, I will post more in next days to show the Cité du Design site which is still under construction. Hope you enjoy this thread, in any case I enjoyed writting it even if it was a little bit difficult to resume the history of the city and translating it into English at the same time, I hope I didn't make too many mistakes and that's understandable. :) |
Definitely a great looking place.
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Not many comments, maybe I should have wait to post another thread on St Etienne. :(
Anyway, here's some pics from The Cité du Design, it's being built on the former national arms factory, most of the old buildings will be renovated and a new one will be added : the "deck" and an observatory tower reminding a coal mine shaft. It'll have in the same place a school, exhibition areas, a research center, auditorium... its purpose will be to unite all players in the design industry. St Etienne has already The international biennal event of design, so this project, led by the architect Finn Geipel, will help to achieve the city's goal to become the undisputed design capital of France. (http://www.st-etienne-metropole.com/The-city-of-design-Saint-etienne.html) 1. The Finn Geipel project(http://www.agglo-st-etienne.fr/decou...tre_design.htm) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...ueaerienne.jpg 2. GE (the tower is still laid down) and Virtual Earth views (St Etienne is in high res in both) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...itduDesign.jpg 3. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...rtualearth.jpg 4. Entering former national arms factory (big part of our industrial past we've just discovered, about 2 years ago, this place as the whole site was surrounded with high walls: nothing should be seen!) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign000.jpg 5. Caution: military zone, no trespassing http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign026.jpg 6. Old buildings on the background and the construction of the "deck" on the foreground http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign003.jpg 7. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign004.jpg 8. The clock building (missing it has been stolen :shrug: ) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign008.jpg About just 2 years before: http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i.../ManuPhoto.jpg (http://vieux.saint.etienne.club.fr/patrimoiMAS.htm#2) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...Manubefore.jpg (http://www.forez-info.com/component/option,com_copperminevis/Itemid,138/place,displayimage/album,7/pos,6/) 9. The observatory tower (28 meters: 92 feet) http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign010.jpg 10. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign015.jpg 11. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign017.jpg 12. Inside http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign019.jpg 13. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign020.jpg 14. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign022.jpg 15. Still a long work to go... http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign025.jpg 16. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign027.jpg 17. The clock building's back http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign029.jpg 18. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign031.jpg 19. This part is almost finished http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign032.jpg 20. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign034.jpg 21. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign035.jpg 22. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign037.jpg 23. "Street art" ??? http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign058.jpg 24. Optics and Vision research center (part of Jean Monnet University) which has just been rehabilitated built on the GIAT factory site, the recent name of the weapons factory until 2000 when it closed: Groupement Industriel de l'Armée de Terre: Army Industrial Group. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign041.jpg 25. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign043.jpg 26. http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/i...uDesign044.jpg All these pics except those I credited was taken by me. :) |
Really nice :tup:
I did not knew Saint Etienne, only it is tram wich is not Citadis ore a TMF like most french light rails. :) I used to see often the platform of St Etienne station in the end of 90's. For going to Lyon, I used the nantes Lyon corail line. Now I live in paris, so I take the TGV. |
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The Nantes Lyon line, it's a very long trip, and still today, I've some friends using Lorient - St Etienne, there are several connections, it's almost a 12 hours trip!! :dead: |
Excellent! It looks a lot different from my photos of 2006.
I'll have to plan for a return visit in 2009 when the Cité du Design is done. You are very lucky to live in a great city. You have a good location, close to Lyon, on a major rail line, and your apartment is in an excellent location as well. I can't wait to return. |
Thanks, and yes the city has being really improved since the last 2/3 years, and there's still many projects underway, I think within about 5 years, St Etienne will have a new face and will definitely lost its black & worker's city nickname.
However, in 1 month, we'll have municipals elections in France, and our Mayor may lose his position then make a break/stop to urban development. The thing is, all these projects, those already finished as the new ones, for instance the development of a new business district located near Châteaucreux railroad station (where Casino group headquarter has just moved to its brand new building :tup: ), cost a lot of money with the risk for the city to go bankrupcy that's why attracting new companies and investors from outside is the main goal and issue of St Etienne Métropole. So, we'll see what will be the future. Anyway, if you come here next year, PM me we could organize something: a what's new visit! |
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http://www.mirage2000.com.tw/images/...n/FAMAS-F1.jpg http://www.mirage2000.com.tw/images/...n/FAMAS-F1.jpg :slob: |
yes, written just a few lines below your quote! sorry for that :D but we're not the only place on earth to produce guns!! ;)
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I'm going to france in a month or two....how far is st-etienne from Paris and far is it from Nice respectively?
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Rico, it's about 2 hours by TGV train from Paris, if you get the direct train to St. Etienne. If you don't get the direct one, you have to transfer in Lyon. Then it's about 2+30 hours give or take.
I'm not sure from Nice. |
Thanks!
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Sound as if everybody wants to come to St Etienne, thanks for the interest.
And yes Border City boy is right, nearly 3 hours from Paris, 2 hours to reach Lyon, which worth to be visited, then 1 hour to St Etienne, with TGV or other train (this part of the line is not speedy). I don't know exactly from Nice but I'll check. There's many things to visit around here, how long long will you stay in France? |
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Si tu fais un stop dans la région avant de remonter sur Paris : Nice Lyon avec le TGV, il faut compter 4h30 environ d'après ce que j'ai pu trouvé sur le site web de la sncf, puis Lyon St Etienne, 1h avec le TER.
Voilà! :) |
Delightful city!
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Thanks! but still a lot of work to do!
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nice shots. beautiful city. well done.
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St. Etienne looks great. I'm especially digging that first pano. Nice job!
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Nice, pretty much all I knew about this city was the football club. Sainté certainly is a classic team - so are Magic Fans 91 and Green Angels. ;)
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